598 



NATURE 



[August 22, 1895 



producing saccharomyces cells. This most interesting obser^-a- 

 lion was subsequently confirmed by Ji'i^ensen, who has since 

 endeavoured to ascertain if the x-arious types of alcohol pro- 

 ducing yeasts can be traced to particular moulds, and already he 

 has succeeded in demonstrating the evolution of wine yeast 

 cells from a particular mould extensively present on gra|)es. 

 Dr. Jcii^ensen intends to continue these most suggestive in- 

 vestigations, and publish his results from time to lime in the form 

 of a separate Beriiht exclusively devoted to the work carried 

 out in his laborator)'. In pursuing these researches Dr. Jorgen- 

 -sen will not only render great pnictical service to the science of 

 fermentation, but he will also lay botanists under deep obligation 

 to him for having rendered possible a more extended and 

 accurate insight into the life-history of moulds. 



The annual address on " The Recent Evolution of Surgery," 

 delivered tjefore the Medical Society of London in May last, 

 by Mr. .\. Pearce Gould, has lieen published in the form of a 

 dainty brochure by Messrs. Kegan Paul and Co. 



The Transoitions have reached us of the Ballarai meeting 

 (iS94)of the .Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers. Among 

 the papers contained therein, we notice a review of past and 

 present steam pumping in mines, by Mr. J. Tipping ; an address 

 on the mineral wealth of Victoria, by Mr. James .Stirling ; an 

 account of the physiography and geology of the Wadnaniinga 

 Gold Field, by Mr. K. D. Johnson : notes on the White Cliffs 

 Offal Fields, Wilcannia, by Mr. F. G. de \'. Gipps ; and a 

 description of ore-dressing by automatic machinery, by Mr. 

 I{. \V. F. Kayser. 



We have received from Dr. G. Ilellmann, of Berlin, a revised 

 edition iif " .Meteorologische Volksbticher," which first appeared 

 in Hitiinul mid Erde in 1891 (see Nati'RE, vol. .xliv. p. 

 185). The work contains an account of the earliest popular 

 (ierman treatises on natural science and meteorolog)' from the 

 first encyclopedia, " Lucidarius," which was written more than 

 two centuries before the invention of printing, to the " Hundred- 

 year Calendar" of Dr. Knauer, for the years 1701-1801. Dr. 

 Ilellmann has embellished the work by further biograjihical 

 notes and additions based u|»n his laborious researches since 

 Ihc appearance of Ihe first edition. 



The forty-first annual report of the Trustees of the Australian 

 Museum is not a pleasing one. We re.ad : "The continued 

 siruillncss of the income allowed to the Trustees by Parliament 

 has practically stopi>ed the acquisition of si)ecin>ens by purchase 

 or collection. The amount expended in the purchase of specimens 

 [during 1894] docs not exceed £20. No collecting expeditions 

 have been sent out, all that has lieen done in this way being 

 confined to fl>'ing trips around Sydney. . . . The staff still 

 continues at its reduced .strength, and the forced economics of 

 late years are l>eginning to tell on the efficiency of the Institu- 

 tion." It is really time that something was done to alter this 

 unsalisfactor)' state of things ; for the present conditions hamper 

 the usefulness of the museum, and are mo.st detrimental to the 

 interests of science. A few researches have been carried on by 

 Ihc officers of the museum, and the mention of them givesa little 

 light to an otherwise rather discouraging rc|x>rt. 



Messrs. George Philii" and Son have published a .school 

 edition of the " Systematic Atlas." The atlas has lieen s|K'cially 

 arranged for the use of students in higher schools and training 

 colleges. Though an abridgement of the " .Systematic Atlas," 

 it contains .is many as 170 maps — practically all the general 

 one* — in forty-one pUlcs, and a complete index of more than 

 I J,ooo names. The atlas will be very valuable for class work in 

 phy.sical and |>r>liiical geography, and is a useful introduction to the 

 larger edition, which has already been reviewed in these columns. 



NO. 1347, VOL. 52] 



Another atlas, of which Messrs. Philip have just published 

 a new edition, is the " Handy- Volume .Atlas of the World," by 

 Mr. E. G. Ravenstein. This, however, is almost a new work, 

 for the whole of the maps have been re-ilrawn and re-engraved, 

 and the letterpress accomixmying them has been rewritten. We 

 reviewed the original edition when it appeared some years iigo ; 

 and it IS only necessary now to say that the present volunie, like 

 its predecessor, is a compact and an efficient pocket -atlas. 



The second part of the fifty-first volume of the Verhand- 

 liingfii des A'attirhistorischen Vereins der Prcussischen Kheiit- 

 lande, Westfalens und der Reg. Bezirks Osnahriiik (Bonn, 

 1894), contains six memoirs and a series of shorter papers and 

 notes. The first memoir is a list of the fossils derived from 

 northern regions found in the diluvial deposits of Weslphali;v, 

 which is contributed by Dr. W. von der Marck. Laspreyes h.is 

 issued a detailed study of the meteorites in the museum of the 

 University of Bonn, in which the literature is tabulated with 

 great care. Stockfleth describes the iron-ore deposits in the 

 Hill of Huggel, near Osnabruck, where it occurs in the Zech- 

 stein. C. Roettgen gives a "Contribution to the Coleoplera 

 Fauna of the Rhine Province." H. Pohlig continues his study 

 of abnormal deer antlers by a description of two pairs belonging 

 to the great Irish elk. One of these has a brow tyne on the left 

 side, but no trace of one on the right, whereas tlie first of the 

 serial tynes on that side is branched. In the other case both 

 brow tynes are present, but the second serial tyne on llie left 

 side has a rudimentary branch. Dr. \"erhoff contributes a short 

 pajwr on the biology of the fire-fly Phosplucmis /ieiiiij>leriis. 

 Among the smaller papers, a note by Ludwig gives a brief 

 account of Marchiafava and Cellis work on the malaria 

 parasite ; Philippson sunnnarises the geological problems that 

 still await solution in Western Turkey. Schenck gives a brief 

 demonstration of the structure of the Brazilian lianas, or climbing 

 .stems. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Ruffed Lemur (Lfiinir rarius, 9 ) lr<nn 

 Madagascar, presented by Mr. J. H. Bingham ; a \'ervet 

 Monkey (C"tT<v>//M<i/« lahndii, 9 ) from South .Africa, presented 

 by Mrs. C. J. Hunijihrey ; a Mozambique Mimkey {,Cer<o- 

 pithcLii! pyger^'thrui, 9 ) from East .Africa, presented by .Mrs. 

 John Mahon ; a Sooty Mangabey (Cenocekiis Juliginos:is, 9 ) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mr. Davies ; a Sykcs's Monkey 

 (Cercopilhcius albigiitaris^ i) from East Africa, presented by 

 Mr. J. Watkinson Brown ; a Cheetah [Cyiitrliiriis jiil>atiis), a 

 Blotched Genet (Geiiflta tigiina) from Somaliland, presented I 

 by Mr. J. L. Harrington; a Martial Hawk Kagle (Spi-M-lus \ 

 hel/iiosiis) from British East Africa, presented by Captain li. L. 

 Sclater ; two Ravens (Con'iis lorciA), two Buzzards (fiiiUo \ 

 vulgaris), two Greater Black-backed Gulls (Lams inaniiiis), 

 European, presented by the lion. William Edwards ; a Herring 

 Gull {Lams argciilaliis), British, presented by Mr. George 

 Hawes ; two Orbicular Horned Lizards {P/itynosomaoiiiitii/itre) 

 from Mexico, presented bj' Mr. Bernard Jackson ; a Rhesus 

 Monkey (Mac aciis rhesus, 9 ) from India, a Black-backed Jackal 

 (Cam's iiiesoiiielas) from South Africa, four Spinylailed , 

 Mastigurcs (Uromaslix aianlhinums) front North Africa, ^ 



de|>osited ; two Octodons (CUnodaityliis gmidi) from 



Egypt, purcha-sed, three Dorcas Gazelles (Gazella dorcas, 9 9 9) 

 a Siemmerring's G.azelle (Gazella sanimerriiigi, i ), an Egyptian 

 Cat (Fell's i/iaiis), three Libyan Zorillas (lelotiyx lyhiia), ten 

 \aried F'ield Rats (Lsoiiiys variegaliis), thirty-five Hairy-fouled 

 Jerboas yDipiis hirtipes), forty-five Lesser Egyptian Gerbilles 

 (Gerhilliis ngyplius),K\^\. Larger Egyptian Gerbilles [Gerhiltiis 

 pyraiiiidmii), two ICgyptian Kites (Milviis icgjpliiis), a Cerastes 

 \"\y>Kt (I'ipera cerastes) from Egypt, received in exchange i a | 

 S|>otted Pigeon (Coliimba maculosa), bred in the Gardens. 



